Chapter 50

There was one thing Leon was certain about, and that was he really enjoyed Zell's company. They could have a conversation and the brunette didn't feel like he was being judged, the subject would be something semi-intelligent, he wasn't being drilled for personal details about himself, and the overall atmosphere was casual and comfortable. Not even Reno made him feel that relaxed. Zell didn't push him to do things or encourage him to go out of his comfort zone. The blind acceptance he had for the Carrier and all the faults of his personality was something Leon promised to keep in the back of his mind when talking to anyone else. He knew any sort of relationship he had with Zell, regardless of magnitude, was something he was going to compare future relationships to. On several occasions, he wondered if the technicians would notice if he put Zell in Cloud's place. He felt bad for thinking that way, so he kept his opinion secret.

Everyone has their secrets, and Zell was no exception. The only reason he knew how to deal with Leon so well was because Rinoa opened her big mouth. Once the initial shock of Leon and Irvine going missing settled, her anger was quick to take the place of her grief and she couldn't help but share just about everything she knew about the Carrier. From his dislike of talking about himself, to the secrets he kept, to his weird textured tongue, to how he was a virgin before she got to him, and even how he never had sex with his shift off; all of it. The only part Zell didn't pay attention to was when she went on about the size of Leon's penis. It was physically impossible for anyone to be that microscopic, and even if it wasn't hanging down to the brunette's knees, Zell was sure it was just fine. Regardless, he knew what landmines of questioning to stay away from. He knew that Leon liked to spend quiet time with people and wasn't one for going out and being a social butterfly. Even if Leon didn't share mountains of information with him, Zell didn't get upset because he knew if he tried to get anything out of him it would just backfire. Instead, he would just lend an ear whenever the Carrier did want to talk.

It was still raining outside, and instead of sitting in the mud together, both boys were sprawled out all over Leon's couch with books littering the floor. The brunette's legs were stretched out in front of him with Zell sitting between them down near his ankles. The Carrier was loosely helping the cadet with his homework, but was mostly reading simply because he enjoyed it. Zell wasn't the most studious person around and complex battle strategies were very long winded and he lost his understanding of them fairly easily. Leon would read the page over and put it into simple paraphrasing the blonde could remember easier.

"This is why I shouldn't be a soldier. I'm a thinker, not a fighter," Leon said, handing Zell's book back to him and laying back against the armrest again. The blonde laughed.

"I'm the opposite. I'm better with quick thinking and reaction time than I am with books."

"At least you're aware of it and you're not like the assholes that go around trying to be the best and denying when they fail at something. Everyone has their limitations and weaknesses."

"Unfortunately the military expects us to be everything all at once. You can't slack in either category otherwise you get left behind," Zell said, turning a page.

"It'd be different if they didn't grade you on it, though. If it was a pass/fail sort of environment, it'd be more brutal. Getting a 'C' in a class is good enough. You don't have to be stellar for something like this."

"True, but if you don't work enough to get a decent grade, you can seriously tell when you're out there with the people who did better than you. Running left when everyone else is running right is sort of a bad idea in the middle of a bunch of gunfire."

"Yeah, but hopefully no one works to get a 'C' and they have enough sense to run with the herd and not keep going the wrong way when they've noticed their mistake. Common sense should make up for the academic slights in a fight."

"I suppose," Zell said with a tiny sigh. He had been studying for a couple hours and was starting to burn out. Leon noticed his defeated tone and looked to him.

"You alright?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah, but my eyes are crossing and I'm not really absorbing anything anymore. Just sort of staring at the page and hoping it makes sense."

"Take a break. Come back to it in an hour."

"Okay," Zell agreed, leaning over and setting the open book on top of all the others. He stretched his arms over his head and bent backwards some to stretch his spine. Heaving a heavy sigh, the blonde crawled forward a few feet and flopped onto Leon's abdomen, forcing the Carrier to let out a grunt.

"Uh…" the brunette drawled stupidly.

"Shh, I'm taking a break," Zell said, draping his legs out behind him along the couch. Leon couldn't decide if he was okay with their new arrangement, but before he could voice any protest, the blonde picked his head up off his stomach and looked at him with a bit of concern in his eyes.

"What?" the brunette asked.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"…Yes? Why? Should I not?"

"You're really warm. Like… feverish sort of warm."

"Oh. No, that's just me. I'm fine."

"Okay. Just checking," Zell said, getting comfortable again. After a few moments of silence, Leon went back to his book and all was quiet again. Once the blonde was confident the brunette's mind was off of their new positioning, he decided to test the waters a little and smoothed a gloved hand over the inside of Leon's thigh. He could feel the tension run through the Carrier's muscles as he froze no doubt in surprise. The apprehension remained there for several moments as Leon debated if he was okay with it or not. Zell wasn't stopped immediately, so the blonde assumed all was well and continued forth. His hand made it to where Leon's leg met his pelvis and that was when the Carrier reached down and covered that hand with his own, stopping everything. The brunette's fingers were lightly trembling as his anxiety became overwhelming.

"Sorry," Zell immediately said, pulling back. The brunette didn't let go of his hand, but stayed quiet. Leon heaved a heavy sigh and laid his book on his face, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself. He took a minute to remind himself that he wasn't being hurt, Zell wasn't going to force him, and that Cloud wasn't anywhere in sight so there was no reason to be afraid.

"It's okay. I'm okay," Leon blurted. Zell sat up and crawled forward so he was on all fours and hovering over the Carrier's face. The brunette peeked over the top of his book. "Hi," he mumbled into the pages.

"Hi," the cadet responded. He gave the other a sheepish smile. "Is it too soon? Should I not even try?"

Leon shrugged. "What's the difference if something happens now or two months from now? Nothing. It doesn't change what's already happened. If it somehow magically changed the past, then that'd be a different story."

"You're sure?" Zell asked. Leon nodded. The blonde pursed his lips in thought before scooting off the couch and standing. Taking the Carrier by the hand he pulled the brunette up to do the same and led him into the bedroom. The gravity of the situation and what he had agreed to hit Leon in the chest and his anxiety raised some. However, the darkness of his bedroom helped calm him. The moon was out and fairly bright, but it wasn't so bright that they could read by it. For Zell, it would be just enough light to see so he wouldn't poke Leon's eye out with anything, but for the Carrier, it didn't matter regardless. He could see just fine. Knowing that his partner wouldn't be able to see the imperfections on his body took away a few of the worries he had, and it was just enough for him to keep a level head so far.

After kicking off his shoes, Zell turned and smoothed his hands up Leon's chest and onto his shoulders. Pulling the Carrier down as he pushed himself up on his toes, their lips met unsteadily as the tension in Leon's shoulders threatened to rip him apart. There was so much fear involved that it felt like his heart was in a vice and was steadily being squeezed in on itself. Zell could feel the uneasiness and pulled back, searching the Carrier's face for any obvious emotion. Leon couldn't look at him. The blonde took his hand and led him to the bed to sit. The brunette followed and parked himself on the edge, focusing on the floor.

"Don't force yourself," Zell said, his tone quiet and careful. He folded his legs and watched Leon closely.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'm impressed you let me get as far as I did. Sorry I'm pushing you too much."

Leon glanced at him. "It's not like I don't want to, I'm just…"

"Scared?"

"Yeah," the brunette agreed, letting out a dry laugh and flopping back on the bed, mashing the heels of his hands in his eyes. "I feel so stupid. I shouldn't be like this. It's not a big deal."

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Hold on there," Zell said, waving a hand. "It is a big deal, dude. You went through some serious shit and you need time to heal. You can want whatever you want, but you're not going to be able to do anything until you feel safe again. It's okay to admit that. I've just never dealt with anything like this before so my half-brained ideas of trying to comfort you don't work very well. There's nothing you're doing wrong. Trust me."

Leon was quiet for several moments as he thought it over. Eventually he sat up and gave Zell a sheepish look. "Okay. But I still want to try. Just… not anymore today."

Zell grinned. "Deal."


The phrase 'friends with benefits' irked Seifer in a way he had never experienced before. It sounded like an okay deal in theory; all of the benefits of having a committed relationship without the commitment. However, it was all a myth. There were always strings attached and there was no doubt in Seifer's mind that, if allowed to go on long enough, Leon and Zell would end up in a proper relationship which put him out in the proverbial doghouse. He couldn't have that. It wasn't acceptable. In his mind, Leon didn't deserve Zell's benefits let alone any of Zell's commitment. He had had a lengthy discussion with Rinoa about it, and from what she told him, things were progressing quickly between them, and Seifer felt he needed to cause a bit of a rift to slow things down, if not sever it all completely. Talking to Zell hadn't helped bring them back together, so the acidic blonde's only other choice was action. That's where Cloud came in.

The unsuspecting pointy haired soldier was blindly following Seifer and Fujin through the halls of Balamb Garden, curiously looking the scenery over. The place was massive, extremely clean, and looked very expensive in his eyes. It gave him the same feeling that standing in Balamb's capital city did; like he was unfit to be there. However, with the Mako coursing through his veins, he cared less about his societal standing and was more concerned about how shiny everything looked. Additionally, he didn't really care why or where he was following Seifer. Similar to when he used to hang around Sephiroth, he was just going with the flow and not allowing his mind to overanalyze, though he probably should have been.

"I wonder when Raijin will be finished. He knows where to meet up, yeah?" Seifer asked, looking to Fujin. The snowy haired stoic woman nodded.

"Yes. Basement."

"Good."

Through the main thoroughfare and up the grand staircase, the trio stopped in front of the elevator and Seifer bashed the down arrow with the side of his fist. The school was mostly empty, as it was late and most everyone was sleeping or studying. This was fascinating to Cloud. Such a huge place should be bustling with people, in his opinion. The fact that it wasn't was somewhat unsettling. Perhaps more unsettling was the fact that Seifer and Fujin were very obviously armed. It took him several minutes to realize that the large aquamarine disc attached to Fujin's side was actually sharp like a blade and that underneath Seifer's long coat was a scabbard and its accompanying sword. Even with these revelations, the haziness of the Mako didn't allow him to be too concerned for his safety. The initial realization was the only real time he felt any danger and the feeling was fleeting.

The elevator ride down to the school's basement was quiet. The shifts in weight tossed Cloud's stomach around and made him feel queasy, but he held himself together well enough. He couldn't figure out for the life of him where they were going or why, but it didn't really matter enough for him to ask. Even if he was to get upset about it, he didn't see the point. He was alone regardless of what he did. Leon had abandoned him, he was hopelessly undereducated, and he couldn't even begin to understand how to get home again. At that point, he figured whatever happened was better than lying around in bed all day. Even if it meant he was heading to his death, he considered it an improvement. At least then the suffering would stop.

The Garden's basement looked like the innards of an industrial park. Huge generators, boilers, and water heaters took up most of the multileveled space, with winding staircases and catwalks leading every which way. In the middle of each level were a series of control panels that kept everything in check, but there were no maintenance workers to be seen; everyone had gone home for the evening. It was almost dungeon-like in appearance to Cloud. The lighting was poor, the air was stale, and it seemed hopelessly isolated. It wasn't completely closed off from the rest of the school, though. At the very least there were several telephone panels with buttons that could be linked to just about any department in the school, so no one was really very far from everyone else. However, that fact didn't settle Cloud's stomach any as he wasn't really aware of it.

"You're awfully quiet back there. Aren't you curious as to what we're doing?" Seifer asked, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde. Cloud raised a brow, the language barrier like a wall between them. Seifer smiled. "Don't look so confused. It's really not very smart of you to just follow me around like a lost puppy, but I suppose that's all you're good for, right? Following orders and being cannon fodder? By Midgar's standards, you must've been a real gem. Doing everything you're supposed to without any complaint. Where's the fun in that?"

"Pathetic," Fujin chimed with a nonchalant shrug. Seifer laughed, heading down a spiral staircase to the lowest level. The woman left them and stood watch at the top. Cloud hesitated a little when he realized she wasn't following, but continued anyway. Part of him knew he should've been more skeptical, but again, the logic was fleeting and he gave up trying to focus and think about it.

"I don't like you. I don't like what you do, where you've come from, and how you've probably lived your life. It's disgusting. You're disgusting," Seifer said calmly. Once off the staircase, he casually walked towards a series of pipes where there was a tiny table with a large roll of tape, a jar, padlocks, and a pile of thick chain. Cloud stopped some distance away, eyeing the scene warily. Seifer's smile split into a grin. "What's the matter? Not into kinky stuff? That's a shame."

"I don't trust you," Cloud said flatly.

"Still have no idea what you said, but it doesn't matter. We're best friends, remember? We're going to have lots of fun," the cadet said, drawing his rapier-like Gunblade from its sheath. Every synopsis in Cloud's brain fired at once, quickly assessing the situation. There weren't many ways he could go to get away, but he was more confident in his ability to overpower Fujin than trying to take Seifer on. As the menacing cadet strode towards him with no apparent hostility in his body language, Cloud scooted towards the staircase. "Where are you going? Don't you want to see what I have for you?" Seifer asked, sounding hurt.

Cloud took off for the staircase. Seifer made no effort to give chase, which was a blessing in his eyes. However, Fujin calmly made her way down the staircase as he came closer. She stood a few steps from the bottom and did something Cloud had never seen before. A thin iridescent green line traced itself around her feet and wispy streaks of the Lifestream slowly crawled up from her feet, following the line of her body. Purplish orbs were soon to follow as the energy built around her. As soon as Cloud noticed the phenomena, he stopped. Standing on the last few steps, he was immensely confused but made to shove past her. Once his foot landed on the next step up, Fujin quickly flicked her hand through the air and a gust of wind was quick to whip up. The force of the flurry was enough to make Cloud cry out as he was knocked back several feet off the staircase. He rolled a few times and eventually came to rest on his stomach, his entire body feeling like one giant bruise.

What the fuck was that? She doesn't have any Materia. This makes no sense, he thought to himself. Stiffly pushing himself up so he could try something else, he only got a couple inches off the floor before he felt something sharp and cold ghosting over the soft skin on his neck. He froze, bug eyed. Seifer's boots were the only things he could see and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness swept over him. Slowly looking up, he was greeted by a cocky smile and a mocking tone.

"Are you scared? Is this a new feeling for you? I bet it is. I imagine this is what people felt like before you murdered them. Raped them. Beat them. Am I right? Did you do those things? I'm sure you have. It's like a rite of passage where you're from. You're a puppet of the government, being controlled and made to batter its people, the helpless sheep, into submission. You're the worst kind of person; you really should be wiped from this planet for the sake of everyone else," Seifer explained. Cloud watched him, not understanding. The scope of his lack of comprehension went beyond the language barrier this time, and all he could think about is the why. Why was this happening? Why was he there? Why did Leon leave him to this fate? Did Leon put this together and convinced Seifer to teach him some sort of lesson? Was this Leon's plan all along? To take him from his home to torture and beat him? Why? For what purpose? There were too many questions and not enough time or sense to sort through them to find answers. Seifer let the tip of his blade drop to the floor as he squatted, looking the soldier in the eye. Cloud could feel the hate radiating off his skin.

"I don't understand why you're so important to him. There must be something, otherwise, why would he bring you here? Then again, maybe he got bored of you and left. I didn't see him visit you for a few days. He probably found an interest in something else, which is why I'm here. That something else is mine and he can't have it. I don't know how to switch his focus back to you peacefully, so I'm sorry to say, you're going to hate this. Actually, I'm not all that sorry. You deserve it." Grabbing a handful of Cloud's hair, the cadet wrenched him to his feet and started pulling him towards the table near the pipes. Cloud let out a yell and tried to squirm away, grabbing Seifer's wrist in a futile effort to hurt it somehow. All he got was a handful of fabric; the sleeve of the cadet's long coat.

Just as Cloud was starting to contemplate ripping his own scalp off to get away, Seifer let go of his hair and backhanded him across the face. Staggering, Cloud was too out of sorts to react before Seifer's fist collided with his solar plexus, causing him to double over as the air left his lungs. Letting the soldier drop to the floor, Seifer stepped to the table and took up the length of chain and the padlocks. He was quick to weave the metal around Cloud's wrists and pull the slack towards a pipe that was several feet off the ground. Tossing the excess over the pipe, the cadet pulled back and yanked Cloud to his feet again, forcing him to jog to keep up with the tension. Gasping for air, the soldier was hoisted up enough to keep his arms straight and most of his body suspended. He could've stood in place if he tried, but the disorientation wasn't giving him such a luxury. Seifer secured the end of the chain by locking it around another pipe.

"It's okay. I'm pretty sure you're not going to die. Once I'm done, I plan on hitting the emergency call button on one of the phones so someone can find you. I'm not a murderer like you. We're different." Seifer stepped to the table and opened the jar. Now that he was closer, Cloud could see that it was filled to the brim with Mako. Seifer glanced at him before going back and grabbing the back collar of his shirt and pulling downward. Choking, Cloud coughed as the fabric was pulled against his neck. However, it was quick to tear as the cadet ripped a large piece off for him to use. Dipping the fabric in the jar like a rag, he took the Mako and smeared it along the majority of the tip of his blade.

I'm going to die, was all Cloud could think as Seifer pushed him around so his back was visible and as accessible as possible. Pressing the tip of the blade into the soldier's skin, Seifer slowly dragged the metal down, slicing a clean line down and across Cloud's back. The pain didn't register right away, but the Mako on the blade burned into the wound, causing the blood and edges of the skin to bubble a little as it was exposed. Cloud screamed as white hot pain shot up his spine, forcing him to bow forward in a weak attempt to get farther away. Recoating the tip in Mako, Seifer started again, cutting across the first wound like an X. He did it so calmly, so nonchalantly, that it only added to the surreal horror of the moment for Cloud. Seifer wasn't saying anything. There were no more insults, no more accusations, just a quiet peacefulness; as if it was his right to be there.

Deciding that the blonde was making too much noise, the cadet stepped back to the table to retrieve the thick roll of tape. He tore off a piece and went in front of Cloud. He gave the soldier a smile as heavy panicked breaths squeaked out of Cloud's abused vocal cords. Seifer covered the other's mouth with tape, disregarding his breathing completely, and went back to the matter at hand. Cloud's blood dripping out of the open wounds was extremely fascinating to him. It wasn't normal. It was too thick, too dark, and moved like an ooze rather than a drip. He didn't take very long to think about it and pressed onward, slicing the helpless soldier's back to ribbons.

I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. So stupid, was Cloud's last thought as his consciousness started to fade.


"I never actually came out and said anything directly, but I think she knows," Zell said with a tiny shrug. He and Leon hadn't left the brunette's bedroom and had taken to starting idle chit chat about anything they could come up with. The current topic was whether or not Zell had talked to his mother about being gay. "I mean, I never had a girlfriend, had lots of guy friends, and I always get angry whenever someone gay bashes. She says she wants grandkids but doesn't care where they come from, so she obviously acknowledges that they might not be genetically related."

"Well, so long as she's okay with it, I wouldn't worry too much," Leon said.

"I don't. My only concern is not lasting long enough to give them to her."

"Yeah… I can see why that would be more upsetting than having an adopted grandchild."

"What about you? Did your mom ever have an opinion on them?"

Leon shrugged. "I don't know. Never met her. Didn't know my dad, either."

"Oh, right. Sorry, I remember you telling me that now. Who raised you?"

There was a long hesitation as the Carrier tried to figure out an answer that made sense. "Mostly my cousins, I guess. Distant relatives. I don't really know their direct relation to me, but I know they were in some way. After a certain point, I mostly raised myself."

"Huh. Interesting," Zell said. He was tempted to go on to say 'well that explains a lot,' but felt it was a little rude. The conversation ground to a halt after that point and a comfortable silence fell between them. Eventually, the blonde sighed and stretched. "I should probably go back to my room and try to sleep. I have class in the morning."

"Ah. Alright," Leon said, shuffling off the bed and standing. Zell sat on the edge and pulled on his shoes and followed the Carrier to the couch where he gathered up his books with a huff. He really didn't want to leave. They had been talking so freely he felt like he was getting somewhere. Leon didn't want him to leave either, but responsibilities were more important than his social life in the end.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" the blonde asked. Leon nodded and walked him to the door. Zell backed out with a sheepish expression, like he wanted to say something more but couldn't put the words together. "Okay…well, bye," he blurted awkwardly and gave the Carrier a lopsided smile.

"Bye," Leon said with a tiny wave. The door slid closed as Zell left and the brunette heaved a heavy sigh, the emptiness of his dorm creeping in. After picking up his books and stacking them neatly on the table, he went to sit in his bedroom to think. There was too much to sort through. He knew he was going to regret getting closer to Zell in the end, but he couldn't help himself. Spending the rest of his time there alone, as if he was back in his prison cell, was a nightmare in of itself. His emotional stability was anything but stable and he craved for someone to just sit around with him and make him feel like he was worth something. Just acknowledging his off kilter psyche was enough to make his chest hurt and give him a sense of hopelessness. Cloud hadn't given him any indication that he gave a damn about being left alone, which didn't help matters.

The Carrier stewed in his depressing thoughts for several minutes before deciding he needed to check on Cloud. He went to his desk where Reno's backpack was and dug around inside to pull out his computer. He hadn't touched the device since coming back to school, and he wondered if his water logged camera bugs had dried out to some sense of usability or if they were all destroyed. After picking through the little box they were kept in and shaking a few to see if they would work, the best he could get was a bug that moved at half the speed with a faded picture. Figuring it would have to do, he sent the tiny device to go find his Charge and was very surprised when it went in the complete opposite direction of the Infirmary. Confused, he wondered if the bug's internal compass was skewed.

It flew down an emergency staircase at a gimpy speed, crawled under a heavy metal door, and into a dim and dank space in the bowels of the Garden. Leon could barely see a figure standing around by what appeared to be another staircase, and it took a few moments of adjustment before he could bring it into focus enough to see Fujin's blank expression. She turned around and headed down the staircase, and when Leon couldn't hear her footfalls, he started to mess with the audio. Static and crackling echoed into his bedroom, and he scowled at the screen as the picture flickered a few times. Through the blinking and the disturbances, he heard a muffled whoosh like a strong wind before hearing Cloud yell and a loud thud shortly thereafter. His blood ran cold, and he didn't hesitate to toss the computer aside and take off for his door.

He had no idea what to expect or who, aside from Fujin, to be angry at. All he knew was that his Charge was somewhere under the school being hurt in some way and that it wasn't okay. Running through the halls as fast as he could, he zoomed past Zell who was about to head down his own hallway. The blonde called after him, but Leon couldn't stop to acknowledge him and kept running. He nearly skid past the emergency staircase door but managed to not fall on his face when he turned for it just in time. Galloping down the stairs, it wasn't long before another set of footsteps sounded along with his but not as fast. Zell was following him, which he was silently thankful for. Reaching the bottom of the staircase took much longer than Leon would've liked, and he threw open the heavy metal door as if it was made of paper and stepped inside.

Immediately disoriented, he had no idea which way to go. The camera bug was able to fly straight down without damage, but the Carrier couldn't figure out which way a staircase was to do the same. A scream shattered the silence in the basement and the sound hit the Carrier in the chest, making panic to seep into his veins. Zell managed to catch up with him as he stood there, trying to see somewhere to go.

"What's happening?" the blonde asked, sounding out of breath.

"Cloud's down here somewhere," Leon said. Another scream followed, but the volume wasn't nearly as piercing. The sound was below them, and the Carrier bent over the catwalk's side railing to see how far of a drop it was. A laugh, Seifer's laugh, filtered through the space. It sounded so distant.

"He already passed out. What happened to the Midgar super soldiers? This is just sad," Seifer said with obvious amusement in his voice.

"Hearsay," Fujin said.

"Must be. Must be. Oh well. I'm having too much fun with him to stop now."

"Kill?"

"If he dies, he dies. Whatever. It's not like he matters any. It'd be a mercy killing at this point. He was already half dead when we got him."

"Turn?"

"Yeah sure, have a go."

"Leon…?" Zell asked, peering over at the Carrier's face. The brunette had completely shut down as an unspeakable amount of rage crawled in and blew away any other emotion Leon had been feeling before that moment. His hands were gripping the railing so tightly, the metal was starting to bow inward under his fingertips. Without saying anything, he pulled himself up and over the railing and dropped to the catwalk beneath them. Zell yelled for him to wait, but Leon didn't hear him. Seifer and Fujin were right below him and the Carrier caught sight of them just as Fujin sliced her hand through the air again, forcing another gust of wind to sweep through the space. She was aiming for Cloud's back, which took the brunt of the force. The skin split in hundreds of different places, some deeper than others, but it only added to the bloodied mess that was already there. The thud of Zell landing on the catwalk startled both Seifer and Fujin and they looked up to see them both start running down the spiral staircase to the bottom level.

"Shit! You're not supposed to be here!" Seifer barked, pointing at Zell as he quickly dropped the jar of Mako and bolted in the opposite direction. Fujin was quick to follow him. Towards the back of the basement was a lift that rose into the garage, and they were heading straight for it.

"No no no no," Leon mumbled to himself as he went to Cloud. Zell ran past him to chase down Seifer and Fujin but the Carrier stopped him. "Wait! Forget about them. Call for help," the brunette said, pressing his fingers into the soft flesh under Cloud's jaw to feel for a pulse. It was there, but faint, and the Carrier pulled the tape off his Charge's mouth to pick his face up. Unconscious, Cloud didn't react and hung there limply. Leon peeled an eye open and saw the faint glow in the blonde's irises, which was all the explanation he needed for how Cloud got down there without anyone thinking it was strange. The Carrier didn't want to believe the people at the Garden were heartless enough to ignore Siefer carrying Cloud like a sack of potatoes slung over his shoulder. It was admittedly less weird to see Cloud walking around like a normal person.

"I can break this. Hang on," Zell interjected, flicking the padlock holding the chains around Cloud's wrist. Hooking his fingers around the two end links, the blonde pulled in either direction. The ground under his feet emanated a soft greenish glow as he pulled energy directly from the Lifestream to help him. Every muscle in his upper body flexed, and the metal easily bowed and pulled apart from the force. It snapped in a few seconds and the chain quickly unwound itself, letting Cloud fall forward right into Leon's arms. The Carrier was stunned by the strength, but the thought was fleeting as he remembered the matter at hand. Zell left him to go to a phone and call for help.

"Cloud?" the brunette asked, sitting on the floor and pulling his Charge closer. He tried his hardest to ignore his Charge's injuries, but it was all he could see. Resting his cheek against the top of the blonde's head, he could feel the warmth of unshed tears burn the backs of his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, hoping Cloud could hear him. Against his better judgment, he tried to pull the blonde a little closer, and his fingers ended up landing in a streak of blood. He froze and pulled his hand up to look at it, not because it was a shock to have it on his skin, but because the texture was abnormal.

It's… gritty, he thought to himself, rubbing the moisture between his fingertips. It felt as if someone had taken a cup of water and mixed a spoonful of sand into it. It wasn't yet sludgy, but it was definitely not right. Seeing the jar of Mako that Seifer had dropped, the Carrier's curious mind wouldn't let him ignore it. Gently settling Cloud on the floor, he scooted the few feet to the jar and stuck his fingers in it. It was warm and felt the same as Cloud's blood, only much much thicker. Wiping his eyes dry with his clean hand, a lot of pieces of the puzzle started to click together for him and he wondered to what extent the damage was lurking under his Charge's battered skin. He went back and scooped Cloud up again, wiping his fingers on what was left of the blonde's shirt.

"Dr. Kadowaki is on the way," Zell said, sitting on the floor next to them. He took note of the brunette's puffy eyes and frowned. "He's going to be okay."

"No. He's not," Leon said quietly, settling his chin on Cloud's shoulder.


A/N: *Trudges off to work.*